This World Will Turn Your Way
by AbominableSnowman23
Summary: What if Brooke wasn't the first phone call Peyton made after another terrible night in L.A.? How will life in Tree Hill be affected?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. That genius is Mark Schwan. I'm just a fan who always wondered what if? **

Peyton Sawyer sat alone in her Los Angeles apartment. Alone, as usual. It had been four years since she had graduated from Tree Hill High School, four years since she had left everyone and everything she knew to chase her dream of someday becoming a record label executive. Her dream had been to find a band that could change someone's life. Just as music had changed her life. She could think of a song that perfectly every relationship she had: Nathan, Jake, Lucas, Julian…Her eyes closed tightly as she listened to the voice that filled her room. Lucas Scott's voice read his book, a book about her, _An Unkindness of Ravens. _Why she always went back to him, she didn't know?

Her relationship with Lucas had always been so complicated. Actually, every relationship she had ever had had been complicated. Peyton's relationship with Nathan Scott had been a dictionary definition of dysfunction, not to mention that he was an ass back then. But now, Nathan had grown and changed into the guy Peyton had always hoped that he would be; but recent struggles put a strain on his relationships with his wife and son. Her relationship with Jake was exhilarating, but he had his infant daughter to think of and a horrendous custody battle with his ex Nikki. The last time she had seen or heard from Jake had been her senior year of high school when she went to see him in Savannah. Apparently, she had muttered Lucas's name in her sleep and Jake told her to go try things with Lucas, which she did; but every now and then Peyton would wonder what could have been with Jake. Her relationship with Lucas never seemed to start at a good time and every time they tried to start something it always ended up hurting Brooke, whom Lucas was with both times she had gone after him. As far as she knew, Lucas was a big-time author and recently returned to Tree Hill. Her relationship with Julian started as it ended, in tears. She had been pining over Lucas the entire relationship, which was never really fair to him; but a part of her loved him even if she could never fully give her heart to him.

Peyton looked out onto the lights of Los Angeles which filled the night's sky. So many what's if's filled her mind, which drove her crazy. She felt so alone. She wanted someone to talk to. Someone who had always been able to talk to her, someone whom time and distance wouldn't be an issue. She picked up her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts. She wasn't even sure the number would still work, but she hit call. Peyton slowly brought the phone up to her ear as she heard the first ring. Her heart skipped a beat. The phone rang again. Well, the phone was ringing, that was a good sign, right? But what if someone else now had that number? The phone rang a third time. Maybe she should just hang up. The phone was about to ring a fourth time.

"Hello?" a male's voice said.

"Hi, it's Peyton," she choked out.

"Peyton Sawyer?" the man's voice asked.

"Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry, I know it's late there…" Peyton began.

"No, no it's fine. What do you need Sawyer?" the man asked.

"I just—What happened to us?" Peyton asked.

"What do you mean?" the man questioned.

"You know, I don't know who I am anymore; or how I got here. I miss who I used to be. I wanna have a home again, you know? And real friends, the kind of friendships we used to believe in. I miss it and I miss you," Peyton began to cry.

"Peyton, I—I," the man fumbled for words.

"I guess I just miss all of it, does that make any sense?" Peyton asked.

"It makes sense, Peyton. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss Tree Hill," the man said.

"I'm sorry, I called. You probably don't want to hear from whiny me," Peyton sniffled.

"No, don't be. It's really good to hear your voice again," the man said.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to call you," Peyton said.

"Then what took you so long, Sawyer?" the man chuckled.

"I was scared after the way we left things," Peyton said softly.

"That day was just as much my fault, I pushed you away instead of holding on," the man replied.

"It hurt for a long time and I'm not sure that my heart ever recovered," Peyton whispered.

"You moved on didn't you? Or did you become a nun?" the man joked.

"I tried Jake, I did. I tried so hard. I told Lucas like you said and we had something…" Peyton said.

"I'm sensing there's a but," Jake said.

"But the thing is, I thought I could give Lucas my heart, but you already had a piece of it; which only made it worse when it came to Julian…" Peyton rambled.

"Julian?" Jake asked.

"A guy I met our here in L.A., a good guy but he thought that my heart was still with Lucas. And truth be told I believed it for the longest time. I've listened to Lucas' book countless times and it really is an epic love story; but when I think back on all the happiness the end of the book isn't my love story. The love story that I can't get out of my head and heart is ours, Jake," Peyton said.

"Peyton…" Jake began.

"I know that it's been years Jake and that you've probably moved on, but I just thought you should know. You've always had my heart," Peyton said.

"Erm, well…" Jake fumbled.

"And I'm going to go now. It was probably a mistake to call you. Bye, I hope you have a nice life and that you're happy. God I hope that you're happy, Jake," Peyton finished.

Peyton quickly hung up the phone and leaned her head back against the wall. What had she just done? The realization that Jake was the one who had made her happiest had been a long time coming. After Julian broke up with her, she went back to pining of Lucas; but then the words he had written hit her. The words in the first half of the book. She liked being Lucas's close friend and truth be told, he was a little less of an ass when he wasn't with her. She must have some curse on Scott men. But the way Lucas painted Jake in the earlier part of his book brought back a flood of memories. She had called Jake, probably to say goodbye forever, and now it was time to figure out what to do with her life.

Peyton Sawyer replayed her conversation with Jake over in her head. After over four years of not talking to him she just comes out and tells him that she still loves him? He must think that she's crazy, maybe even high or drunk. For all she knew he could have a girlfriend or he could possible even be married. What about Nikki? Was she still in the picture? She walked over to her CD player and turned the volume off. She didn't need to hear Lucas' voice right now. Right now, what she needed was damage control and who better to call than Brooke Davis? Once more she pulled out her cell phone but this time to call Brooke.

"Well, well, P. Sawyer, to what to I owe the pleasure?" Brooke asked.

"I'm sorry if you were asleep, Brooke," Peyton apologized.

"Not to worry, a young, hot celebrity like myself never goes to bed right after a big premiere," Brooke responded.

"I think I screwed up," Peyton muttered.

"Just don't tell me that you were caught snorting coke at a VIP event and were a no-show for a photoshoot, otherwise Bitchtoria might make me fire you too," Brooke groaned.

"I told Jake that I love him," Peyton rushed.

"Whoa, so not what I was expecting! Jake? Jake who? Don't you mean Lucas?" Brooke questioned.

"Not Lucas. Jake Jagielski, remember?" Peyton said.

"Jake? As in psycho bitch's baby daddy, Jake?" Brooke asked.

"I thought you liked Jake," Peyton said.

"I did, I do. Well, technically I haven't seen or heard from him since he bailed junior year. He was pretty fine if I remember correctly," Brooke rambled.

"Brooke, I basically professed my love for him," Peyton said.

"Huh," Brooke sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean, Brooke?" Peyton asked.

"Nothing, I'm just trying to process it all. I thought you were still pining over Lucas," Brooke responded.

"I did too, so I've been listening to his book over and over again," Peyton added.

"Right, I'm not seeing how your love story with Lucas relates to Jake," Brooke said.

"I'm only half of the book Brooke. My love story with Jake is the unwritten part of the first half," Peyton sighed.

"Your and Lucas's thing always seemed so…" Brooke began.

"Epic, I know. But I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure I want some epic romance. I just want to be happy," Peyton said.

"You were happy with Lucas," Brooke said.

"But there was always so much drama that went along with that. Sometimes I wonder if my feelings toward him were just because he always was saving me. I don't like being the damsel in distress. I just want normal, you know?" Peyton furthered.

"I'm pretty sure you're living normal as a twenty-something, underpaid, single girl in L.A." Brooke joked.

"Funny, Brooke, real funny," Peyton groaned.

"You miss my sense of humor," Brooke chuckled.

"I do. Really, I do. When I dreamed of my future four years ago, this is not what I pictured. I didn't imagine being assistant to the assistant. I wanted to be changing the world by now. Does that make any sense?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, it makes all the sense in the world. Four years ago, it all seemed so clear didn't it? Conquer the world, save the world, live happily ever after," Brooke said.

"Are you happy, Brooke?" Peyton questioned.

"Sometimes, not always. Are you?" Brooke asked.

"No, I think this conversation verifies that," Peyton said.

"This is more than just Jake, isn't it?" Brooke questioned.

"Yeah, it's everything coming at me at once. It's just so confusing," Peyton cried.

"Okay, then let me ask you something. What is going to make you happy, Peyton? Is it how you look, or the car you drive, or the people you know? Is it money, or celebrity, power, or accomplishments? Because I have all those things and I don't think it's enough," Brooke said.

"Well then, what is?" Peyton asked.

"Love, I think. And that love could be for a boy or a girl, or a place, or a way of life, or even for a family. But where you find it is up to you. So where are you going to find that love, Peyton?" Brooke asked.

"I think I need to go home," Peyton said.

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd say that," Brooke sighed.

"You were?" Peyton asked.

"No matter what, Tree Hill is always home. No matter how many broken hearts, psycho's, or weddings gone wrong; there's something about that place that I hold dear in my heart. These years in New York made me realize that. But enough about me, what about Jake?" Brooke continued.

"First things first, B. Davis. We're going to go home then figure the rest out later," Peyton said.

"See you in Tree Hill," Brooke said.

"See you there," Peyton responded.

After a week of packing up what she could of her life in L.A., Peyton boarded a one-way flight to Tree Hill, North Carolina without looking back. No longer would she be the assistant to the assistant at a crappy label. No, she was going to home, even if it meant she had to work at the Hot & Twisted pretzel shop in the mall. Home. That word just felt right in her heart: home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. That genius is Mark Schwan. I'm just a fan who always wondered what if?**

Peyton stepped off the plane and inhaled deeply. Most people would probably miss it, but Tree Hill had something magical about it. So, it was good to finally be home. She wandered through the airport, trying to find her way to the exit of the terminal. The only one who knew she was heading back to Tree Hill was Brooke, who hadn't quite escaped New York yet, meaning that she was going to have to call for a taxi and find a hotel to stay at for the next few nights. Peyton grabbed the one suitcase she had brought with her and headed outside to call for a taxi. The rest of her belongings should arrive by UPS sometime, but they didn't really matter. She had what she needed in her suitcase and carry-on. Standing outside, Peyton called for a cab, when she noticed a familiar face pulling up in an SUV.

"Haley!" Peyton called.

Granted, the woman had dark brown hair, compared to the honey blonde girl she had last seen, but she was certain the woman was Haley James Scott. As the dark haired woman stepped outside her vehicle, Peyton called to her once more, but a fair-haired woman with a ponytail enveloped Haley in a hug. Peyton couldn't ever remember seeing this woman before, so she shied away from further engaging Haley. As Haley grabbed this unknown woman's baggage, a little blonde-haired boy poked his head out the window and grinned at the woman. Peyton could hear the woman's high pitched laugh before she stepped forward and placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. The feeling of jealousy panged at Peyton's heart. Haley had been her friend. She had been there through Haley's pregnancy. She had helped feed and change baby Jamie's diapers for the first few weeks of his life. The few weeks before she had taken off to LA and now that had all changed. She wished she had received such a warm welcome, but then again, she hadn't exactly told anyone she was coming.

The woman climbed into the front seat of Haley's SUV as Haley shut the trunk. After a few moments, the car was in motion and driving past her. Peyton tried to shield her face from them, but the unknown woman was looking out the window and smiling at her. Without knowing why, Peyton found herself awkwardly waving at the woman, who smiled again and waved back at Peyton. And then, they were gone, thankfully only a moment later, Peyton's cab pulled up to take her somewhere for the night.

* * *

Haley pulled into the garage and parked the SUV. She anxiously rubbed at her neck as Jamie practically bounced out of the car and ran to trunk. Jamie called for his mom to open the trunk, so she pressed the button and it automatically popped up. The little four year old struggled to pull the suitcase out of the back, but the blonde woman met him near the trunk and chuckled. She ruffled his hair and stooped down to his level.

"Tell you what, how about you take my backpack and my purse. This way you'll have two and I'll just have the one suitcase," The woman smiled.

"Two is more than one," Jamie grinned.

"Since when did you get so smart?" the woman chuckled.

"Everyone knows that two is more than one," Jamie said rolling his eyes.

"True and since you're the man, you should carry more," the woman explained

"Yup," Jamie said.

The woman helped Jamie into the straps of her backpack and slung her purse over his shoulder. He then ran into the house through the door from the garage. The woman laughed at Jamie and pulled her heavy suitcase from the trunk. While Jamie may be a smart kid, he was still a kid after all and one could easily manipulate a four year old's logic. The woman rolled her suitcase around the car and found Haley leaning against her vehicle with her arms folded across her chest.

"You're good with him," Haley sighed.

"He's a good kid, so it's hard not to be," the woman said.

"That's not always the case," Haley said stiffly.

"Nate will come around, I'm sure of it," the woman said.

"Wait until you see him; I'm sure you'll change your mind," Haley said.

"Hales, I know it's not the reason I came here, but if there's anything I can do to help…" the woman began.

"Thanks," Haley nodded.

"What's family for?" the woman smiled.

The woman released her suitcase and wrapped her arms around Haley, enveloping her in a hug. Haley slightly broke down her tough façade for only a moment, before she roughly wiped away the few tears that had slipped down her cheeks. She then took the blonde woman's suitcase and told her to follow inside.

* * *

Brooke nervously tapped her pencil against her sketchbook. With the credit card Victoria didn't know about, she had booked a one-way plane ticket to Tree Hill from New York. Like Peyton had said in their phone conversation, it was time to go home. While being in New York and having her own fashion line, Clothes Over Bros was what she had wished for, it wasn't _everything_ she had wished for. She still didn't have someone to share her life with. Granted, Victoria had wanted her to focus on fashion, she still got lonely sometimes. Sometimes, she longed for the high school days. While nothing was ever perfect in high school, she had never felt more herself and more loved than she did then. It was true what they said. It was lonely at the top. Brooke's cell phone began to buzz, so she picked it up and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" Brooke said.

"Hey Brooke, its Millicent…" the other woman began.

"I'll be right down," Brooke interrupted.

She quickly hit the end button before Millicent could convince her of anything else. Brooke had asked Millicent, her assistant to bring her to the airport. She knew she could count on Millicent to at least go through with what she had asked before contacting Victoria. Besides, this way Victoria wouldn't be able to trace a payment to a driver meaning that she could hopefully have a little more time in Tree Hill before the woman found out she had fled New York. Brooke paged for assistance with her bags and in hardly any time, she was outside and in Millicent's car.

"So…I'm taking you to the airport?" Millicent asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, just don't tell Victoria," Brooke responded.

"Why didn't you have your driver drive you?" Millicent questioned.

"Gave him the night off," Brooke said.

"I probably shouldn't say anything, but something seems fishy," Millicent said.

"Don't you worry your pretty face none," Brooke chuckled. "And try to have fun while I'm gone."

"Well, you have some fun in Milan then," Millicent nodded.

"Yeah, Milan," Brooke whispered.

But in her head, Brooke knew she wasn't going to Milan. She was going home.

* * *

Lucas walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to take his mind off what had just happened. He had pretended have a bad internet connection while video chatting with his book editor. He hadn't written anything. Take that back, he hadn't written anything good. He had written crap; complete and utter crap. He had this terrible writer's block since his first book had been published. The publishing house had been pushing him to get his second novel out, but he just couldn't do it. Every time he got more than just a few paragraphs on the page he would hit a wall and would have no idea where he was going with his story. Lindsey had been more than accommodating with him. Hell, she allowed him to try and write from home in Tree Hill rather than confine him to New York. He knew Tree Hill was the place for him to write. There was just something about Tree Hill that brought out the best in his writing, or at least it did. His phone buzzed from his pocket as he shut the door to the fridge. Pulling the phone out of his pocket, he noticed that he had a text; a text from Lindsey.

_Luke, what was that?_

Lucas exited out of the conversation. With a beer in hand, he sat down at the kitchen table. After opening the bottle, he slowly sipped his beverage. He knew he shouldn't ignore Lindsey, but he hated to disappoint her. It had already been over two years since his last book had come out and he couldn't face telling her that he had nothing. He just needed a muse, something to help the words flow from his fingers. After several more sips, his phone buzzed again. Damn, it was Lindsey again.

_ I can see that you opened the text and you still haven't responded._

Damn iPhones. As good as technology was, sometimes it was a burden. Great, now she could tell that he had opened this one too, so he began to type a message.

_Something came up. We'll talk later._

He sighed before hitting send. He hated lying to Lindsey, but he just couldn't tell her the truth. He needed some time to think. He needed to go somewhere else to think and clear his mind. With just the place in mind: the Rivercourt.

* * *

Nathan sat sulking with a bottle of beer in his wheelchair. He saw Jamie bounce past with a backpack and a purse. Haley had told him something about going somewhere to get someone, but to be honest, he hadn't really been listening. He was too busy feeling sorry for himself and drowning those feelings in some booze. The only problem with booze is that it put him in a haze for a little while to make him forget, but he would quickly need more. He wouldn't say that he had a problem, unless he ran out of alcohol, and then there was a big problem. Haley walked in rolling a suitcase with a blonde woman following behind her.

"Hey Nate," the woman smiled.

"What are you doing here, Missie?" Nathan grumbled.

"Good to see you too," Missie chuckled.

"I asked you what you're doing here!" Nathan growled.

"Nathan, Jamie's home," Haley hissed.

"I asked her a simple question," Nathan said heatedly.

"And I already told you why my cousin was coming here before I left to get her," Haley scoffed.

Nathan sat there silently for a moment as Haley stared at him with venom in her look. Haley rolled her eyes, giving up.

"I'm going to bring her stuff upstairs. Come on Miss," Haley said.

"Be there in a second, Haley," Missie called.

Haley nodded her head and headed out of the living room. Nathan took a swig of his beer bottle, which Missie grabbed from his hand and held it above her head. While she herself wasn't very tall, it was still higher than Nathan could reach sitting on his lazy butt in his wheelchair.

"Damn you, Missie!" Nathan hissed.

"You need to stop giving Haley hell," Missie said.

"You do realize you're staying in _my_ house. So, I can kick you out whenever I want," Nathan spat.

"And then your wife can invite me back in," Missie retorted.

"In my house for no more than five minutes and you're already being a bitch," Nathan scoffed.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Missie responded.

"Whatever," Nathan muttered.

Missie set Nathan's beer bottle on top of his trophy cabinet, before she leaned down and gently hugged him. He didn't respond to her hug, instead he sat there stiffly. His wife's cousin then headed upstairs leaving him downstairs. Thankfully, he had another six-pack of beer in the fridge. He had a feeling that Missie was only here to cause trouble.

* * *

Jake held his phone in his hand staring at the number of the girl that had surprised him and seemingly turned his life around only a few days ago. Peyton always seemed to do that to him. Hell, even after all these years, Peyton still had that effect on him. He hadn't seen or heard from him since he had rejected her proposal of their senior year. Peyton had flown all the way down to Savannah to see him and had proposed to him. He was all set to say yes and pull a Naley, but then one tiny mutter had ruined it. She had muttered Lucas in her sleep. Stupidly, he had told her to go back and see if she still had something with Lucas. There wasn't a day that went by that he wished he would have been selfish and ignored Lucas Scott's name; but that wasn't the kind of guy he was. He had heard through the grapevine that Lucas and Peyton had gotten together and after that he had given up hope; but a couple of nights ago, he was given hope again.

He stood up and walked down the hallway and opened the bedroom door. Two sleeping children lay fast asleep. Jake walked in and pressed a kiss against Jenny's cheek. The girl meant so much to him, as did her sister. He turned and placed a kiss on the three year old girl's cheek. Funny how life how much life had changed since high school and now how much his life had changed in a matter of days. The boxes were almost all packed with their belongings. There was nothing tying him to Savannah anymore, so he was taking the kids home: home to Tree Hill. While the decision wasn't entirely prompted by Peyton's phone call, part of him hoped that maybe his curly, blonde-haired ex-girlfriend would eventually find her way back to Tree Hill. As crazy as the move sounded, now was the best time to do it. Jenny was starting Kindergarten this year, so moving to a new town wouldn't affect her schooling because she was just beginning her educational career. His mother had thought his plan sounded insane, but he needed to go back to Tree Hill. In his gut it was what he felt was the right thing to do.

* * *

After Peyton had settled into her hotel room which was going to become her home for the foreseeable future, she looked out the window of her room. Her hotel was right on the river walk and overlooked the river. And of course, she would have a perfect view of the Rivercourt from across the river from her room. So many memories had taken place at that basketball court. She had watched her then boyfriend, Nathan, battle her future boyfriend, Lucas in a one-on-one game. Jake had made her heart skip a beat there. But the place meant more to her than serving as a reminder of her exes. It was a place where she and her friends had felt at home. After graduation, they had all spray-painted their names to the court. She wondered if they were still there. So, Peyton journeyed across the river to her old haunt.

When Peyton arrived at the Rivercourt, she stepped onto the court and it seemed as if time had not passed. Sure, the names had faded, but all the memories suddenly came back and were fresh in her mind. She stood there for what seemed like forever, absorbing it all. Remembering what it had felt like to be surrounded by people that actually cared about you and looked out for you. Whether it was romantic or platonic, there had been so much love in this place. Probably more love in one place than she had ever known. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a basketball hitting the pavement. Peyton's heart stopped for a moment as she closed her eyes before she turned to see the person dribbling the basketball: Lucas Scott.

"Hi," Peyton choked out.

God, he looked good. A flood of feelings surged through her.

"How long has it been?" Peyton asked a little more confidently than the last time she spoke.

As Lucas appeared to be in thought, she walked forward to be closer to him. It was as if she was drawn to him. She and Lucas would always have that connection of being in the library the day of the school shooting. There would always be something there, but the question was: would either make a move on it? Peyton tried to shake these feelings. She had just called Jake. She was certain that she still cared for Jake, but there was something about Lucas that she couldn't shake. Lucas pushed the basketball to the ground once more before answering.

"Two years."

"It's had to have been longer than that," Peyton nervously chuckled.

Peyton looked Luke in the eyes; his beautiful baby blue eyes. Big mistake. She had missed him. She took several steps closer to him.

"Oh God, Luke, I missed you," Peyton said.

She had opened her arms to simply hug him, but he shot her down by backing away.

"I have someone," Lucas began. "I'm with someone."

Peyton stood there for a moment too stunned to speak; but during those moments she processed her thoughts. Her feelings for Luke had been a habit for her for over the past four years. There would always be a place for him in her heart, but she wasn't in love with him. Or at least, that's what she tried to convince herself of during the silence.

"Good for you, Luke," Peyton responded softly.

"I—I should probably get going," Lucas said.

"You just got here," Peyton responded.

"I—I have something I need to do," Lucas said.

Lucas quickly turned around on his heel and jogged off the Rivercourt, leaving Peyton standing alone once again.

* * *

Nathan sat outside, staring at the pool, in his wheelchair. Haley and Jamie were busy entertaining Missie, and he didn't want to be a part of that. He wasn't in the mood for it. He was already embarrassed by his actions with his wife's cousin, but he didn't want to cause further embarrassment. So, he isolated himself outside. Rolling his chair a bit, he reached down and picked up Jamie's little basketball and took a shot at the Little Tike's hoop. The ball bounced off the hoop, but didn't go in. He couldn't even make a damn basket anymore. Not noticing Jamie walking down the stairs, Nathan's anger overtook him and he grasped the little hoop and chucked it across the patio. The hoop crashed on the bottom step near where Jamie stood. Jamie looked to his father with his eyes wide before quickly turning away and heading back for the house.

"Jamie," Nathan called.

Jamie looked to his father hesitantly before he slowly walked over to him with a picture in his hand. The small boy held the picture out for his father to grab, which Nathan accepted. It was a picture of him playing basketball. Nathan wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling about the picture, but it obviously wasn't the response Jamie wanted because he turned to walk away from his father. Knowing that he needed to fix the situation, Nathan called out to Jamie. Jamie stopped and turned to face Nathan. Nathan wheeled his chair over to Jamie and stared at his son for a minute, trying to figure out a way to right this. Nathan then forced himself to stand up, rather slowly, but he embraced his small son in a hug and apologized him. Meaning every word he said, he knew he had to change his behavior, especially for his son.

* * *

From inside the house, Haley was standing in the window with Missie watching the scene between Nathan and Jamie.

"That's why I have hope for him," Missie said.

"One moment doesn't change months of hell," Haley argued.

"No, but it's a start to end the months of hell," Missie shrugged.

"And what if it's not?" Haley asked.

"It is, but just don't expect him to be perfect. He's going to mess up," Missie responded. "If you can accept that, then you after some time, things should be fine."

"Have experience with stuff like this?" Haley asked.

"Something like that," Missie whispered. "Well, it's been a long day. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

"As much as Quinn and David are going to miss having you, I'm glad you're here," Haley smiled.

"Just making my way down the cousin list, but I decided to skip over Taylor," Missie responded.

"Good choice," Haley chuckled.

Missie chuckled too and hugged her cousin before she headed upstairs. She walked straight to her room and plopped herself onto the bed. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she opened up her pictures. Scanning through them, she stopped on one from college. It was of her, Haley holding Jamie, Nathan, and Lucas. In the picture, she was standing beside Lucas and his arm was wrapped around her shoulder. She zoomed up on his smiling face before she tossed the phone on the bedside table and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

Lucas dug through his top dresser drawer. He opened a small box which contained an engagement ring, which his Uncle Keith had given to his mother; but the ring had also been intended for someone besides his mother. He set the box back on top of a picture of him with Haley, Nathan, Jamie, and a blonde from college before he turned around and grinned at the person in his bed: Lindsey. Despite his shortfalls, she still came back to him.

* * *

Brooke walked through the airport, with a feeling of happiness. She had never been so happy to be in an airport before, but this was different. It was as if this airport was welcoming her home. She was almost to the baggage claim when she noticed her best friend. Peyton practically ran at her and enveloped her in a hug.

"I missed you, Brooke Davis," Peyton smiled.

"I missed you too, P. Sawyer," Brooke whispered as she hugged her best friend.

When she finally released Peyton from their hug, she smiled at her before grabbing her arms.

"We're home now. It's gonna be okay," Brooke said.

Peyton nodded her head before the best friends headed out of the airport. Whatever happened with their messy love situations, they knew that they would always have each other. No more high school betrayals.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. That genius is Mark Schwan. I'm just a fan who always wondered what if?**

Jake lay on his parent's couch asleep with his mouth open, gently snoring. He and his girls had pulled into Tree Hill late last night. Thankfully, his parent had allowed them to crash at their house temporarily. Part of the deal was that it was only until he was on his feet again with a job and an apartment. He knew his parents would never admit it, but they were glad he was back in Tree Hill. They were glad to be able to spoil their granddaughters again. Jenny tip-toed over to her daddy and started poking his cheek. Jake wiped at the little girl's finger, but she only continued to poke.

"Daddy," Jenny whispered.

"What?" Jake groaned.

"Grandma says you gots to get up," Jenny stated.

"Why?" Jake chuckled.

"Because we gots to go," Jenny said rolling her eyes.

"Go where?" Jake grinned, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Daddy, I can't be late for my first day of school," Jenny whined.

Jake scooped up his little girl in his arms and began to tickle her.

"You're not old enough to go to school," Jake laughed.

"Daddy," Jenny giggled between gasps of air.

With a grin on his face, Jake set his daughter back on her feet standing on the ground, admiring just how grown-up she looked. Jenny's hair was pulled back into two pigtails and she was wearing one of her favorite dresses. Obviously his mother had helped her get ready.

"Where's Eva?" Jake asked.

"We're right here," a voice responded coming down the stairs.

Jake looked up at his mother carrying a small girl with brown hair, cradled against her. He stood up and met his mother at the bottom of the stairs. Gently, he took Eva from his mother's arms and kissed the little girl on the forehead.

"Now, I need to leave for work…" Jake's mom began.

"Ma," Jake interrupted.

"You need to make sure Jenny gets dropped off at school. You'll have some paperwork to finish filling out but they know she's coming…" Jake's mom continued.

"Ma," Jake said.

"You'll need to take Eva with you; but you need to try and find a job. This housing situation is only temporary…"

"Ma, I got it," Jake chuckled.

His mother stood there with her arms folded across her chest, but Jake leaned in a pressed a kiss against his mother's cheek.

"Have a good day, Ma," Jake said. "Everything's under control."

The older woman smiled and patted her son's cheek with her hand before reaching for her purse and keys to head out of the house. Jake walked his girls to the kitchen and poured them some cereal for breakfast. He then rushed upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. He probably should at least look and smell decently when looking for a job.

… … … …

Brooke opened the outside door to Lucas's bedroom. She knew that door all too well, hell, it had even been her bedroom once upon a time. Of course it had changed drastically since then. Well, it had changed drastically since she had last been in it, over four years ago in high school. Gone was giant mural of the River Court and replacing it with a more grown-up design. That seemed to be the theme of their lives: growing-up. Who would have thought four years ago that they would have grown up so much? Brooke grinned as she spotted Lucas still asleep under his pile of covers. She tip-toed over to the bed before she pounced on top of him…only, it wasn't Lucas. When a woman Brooke didn't recognize popped out from underneath the covers, she screamed. She covered her mouth in surprise looking at the pretty woman she straddled.

"You're not Lucas," Brooke chuckled.

"You're Brooke Davis," Lindsey responded.

"Yeah," Brooke answered. "Hi…you're—you're wearing me. Clothes Over Bros is my line."

"I love it," Lindsey smiled.

"Thanks," Brooke giggled.

"And you're so pretty in person," Lindsey said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Thanks, you are too," Brooke said returning the compliment.

"All right, well this hasn't happened to me since college," Lindsey continued pointing out the fact that Brooke was still straddling her.

"Don't worry, you're not the first person I've done this to," Brooke laughed.

Brooke awkwardly began to get off the woman in Lucas's bed, when the same door she had entered through opened. A sweaty Lucas stood there, staring at the scene taking place in his bed.

"Wow, this hasn't happened to me since college," Lucas said slowly.

"I should know," Brooke chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose you would," Lucas muttered hoping Lindsey didn't hear him.

"Hey, Luke," Brooke grinned.

Brooke practically jumped off the bed as she met Lucas in a hug.

"I missed you," Lucas said.

"I missed you too, big-time writer," Brooke responded.

"If only he'd actually write something," Lindsey responded.

"I'm sure he's just waiting for some inspiration and who better than me?" Brooke joked.

"That's what I'm worried about," Lindsey muttered.

"Well, I can see when I'm interrupting something; so I'll just be on my way then," Brooke said.

Brooke side-stepped Lucas to leave, but he grabbed her by the arm.

"Brooke, it's really good to see you," Lucas smiled.

"Yeah, you too Lucas Scott," Brooke smiled back.

"Hey, you should stop by and see Nathan. He could use a little incentive to walk," Lucas grinned.

"Text me the address," Brooke winked.

With a cheerful backwards kick of her leg, Brooke left the bedroom she had once frequently visited ready for another day in Tree Hill. When she walked out onto the sidewalk, she was nearly run over by a man and two girls.

"Excuse us," the man said.

"It's not a prob…" Brooke began.

But she couldn't finish her sentence. It couldn't be, could it? She knew she had seen that face before, but it couldn't be possible…too much of a coincidence, right? But her ears quickly perked up as the man talked to one of the girls.

"Jenny, I hope your new teacher doesn't it take it out on you that your daddy made you late because he locked his keys in his car and packed the spare in one of the moving boxes."

Brooke covered her mouth with her hand. Things in Tree Hill were definitely not going to be dull.

… … … …

Haley pulled the SUV in front of Tree Hill Elementary School. Missie inhaled deeply before releasing a sigh. She reached around for her bag which she had placed in the back seat. This was why she had come to Tree Hill: a job; a job as a first grade teacher at Tree Hill Elementary School. But it wasn't the only job she had taken on this year. She was going to coach the Tree Hill Lady Ravens Basketball team. The only problem was she still didn't have a car, hence the carpooling with Haley.

"So I'll meet you at the high school later," Missie said.

"And how exactly do you plan on getting over there?" Haley asked.

"Running?" Missie shrugged.

"Are you sure? I mean I know Lucas would be more than willing…" Haley began.

"No," Missie interrupted.

"C'mon, I'm sure all he'll be doing is sitting in his fancy office all day. Besides, he's probably looking forward to seeing you," Haley replied.

"I'm pretty sure he isn't," Missie muttered.

"Miss, this is Luke we're talking about," Haley chuckled.

"Yeah, the same _Luke_ who doesn't know I'm here," Missie whispered.

"You haven't told him?" Haley questioned.

"No, have you?" Missie asked.

"Well, no. I just assumed you…" Haley began.

"Hales, please don't say anything to him," Missie pleaded.

"Why are you acting so weird about this?" Haley asked.

"I—erm—I just want to surprise him, that's all," Missie lied.

"Well, maybe part of his surprise could be picking you up," Haley continued.

"Can you just drop it please?" Missie asked.

"What aren't you telling me?" Haley questioned.

"Nothing, but I need to get a few things ready before those little rascals show up. So, I'll see you later," Missie said.

"Yeah, later then," Haley sighed.

Missie offered her cousin a weak smile before she hopped out of the SUV and headed for the elementary school. The first thing she was doing when she had the money was to buy a car. Then Haley couldn't keep offering for Lucas Scott to pick her up. She didn't hate Lucas, but the less contact she had with the boy, the better.

… … … …

Nathan sat in his wheelchair in the bedroom. Haley, Missie, and Jamie were all gone for the day; leaving him home alone. What he wanted more than anything was to get out of this damn wheelchair. So, he wheeled himself over to the dresser and rested his hands against it. He used it to push himself onto his feet. Taking a quick glance in the mirror to see the man he had become caused him to crash to the floor. He groaned and muttered an obscenity. This was not what he needed. He needed to be back on his feet again. But instead of picking himself up right away like he would have done in the days prior to his accident, he let himself lay on the floor wallowing in self-pity.

… … … …

Haley sat at her desk going over her lesson plans for her first class in her head over and over again until the bell finally rang. She took a moment to take it all in. She was an English teacher at her alma mater. She hoped her students were as willing to learn as she was willing to teach them. She took a deep breath before she closed the textbook.

"All right, good morning," Haley began. 'This is my first official day as a teacher and you're my first official class. So, congratulations."

Silence. Tough crowd. She had at least expected a few pity laughs, but no, she got nothing from these teenagers. They all stared at her as if she was crazy. She didn't remember being like this when she was in high school. But she decided that the only thing to do was to continue. She walked over to the chalkboard and picked up a piece of chalk to write her name.

"Erm—uh, my name is Haley James…" Haley began.

"That is some fine ass," a boy called from the class.

Haley instantly turned around to find the culprit, but the entire class was roaring with laughter. She set her shoulders and stood tall.

"All right, look, first of all, that's no way to talk to a girl. Any girl. And second of all, that is absolutely no way to speak to a teacher," Haley reprimanded.

One of her students stood up and confessed to speaking to her like that. When she asked him his name, he said he was Quentin Fields. She smiled and told him to have a seat before she continued with her name; but the boy once again interrupted her. She didn't have to take this on her first day, so she told him to head to the office; but the boy and the class only seemed to take it as a joke. She tried to take command of the situation, but the moody teenagers just seemed to mock everything she said. Not knowing what to do, Haley ran from the classroom and headed to the principal's office. After only a few minutes in her first class she already felt like a failure.

… … … …

Peyton leaned against the railing on of a fencepost on the Riverwalk. She had promised that she'd meet Brooke this morning. Why she let her petite brunette best friend drag her out of bed at this God-forsaken hour, especially considering the time change, she didn't know. Brooke just had that way of getting what she wanted. Suddenly, she felt a slap at her side. She quickly turned to find Brooke.

"Speak of the devil," Peyton smiled.

"That was so high school P. Sawyer," Brooke chuckled.

"Sorry, didn't know the devil thing went out of style," Peyton joked.

"Funny," Brooke said. "But not to change the subject, how much do you love me?"

"Depends," Peyton said sarcastically.

"Well, I went to see Lindsey, Luke's girlfriend. I have good news and bad news," Brooke responded.

"It's fine. Luke and I haven't been together in over three years. That's not why I'm home," Peyton responded.

"I know, I know, but you didn't let me finish…" Brooke began.

Brooke's phone began to ring. She groaned and pulled her iPhone out of her purse.

"Ooh, the office. They're just figuring out I'm not in Milan. I bet Victoria's having a cow," Brooke continued.

"Don't you think maybe you should call and let her know you're just alive?" Peyton asked.

"Hell to the no. Now, before I tell you my big news, what exactly happened after Lucas finished his book? Brooke asked.

"What happened between Luke and I is history. I'm just finally ready to move on with my life," Peyton said.

"Peyton, please?" Brooke asked.

"Fine," Peyton grumbled.

… … … …

Jake walked into Tree Hill Elementary school with two girls in tow. They were late. What an impression Jenny was making on her first day at a new school, huh? He led the girls to the school's office where they were greeted by the secretary. Surprisingly, it was the same secretary from when he attended Tree Hill Elementary. The woman's once red hair had definitely lightened and was taking on a more whitish appearance, but there was no mistaking the kind lady that had always been there to welcome his younger self to the office. Eva whined for him to pick her up, so he picked her up while Jenny clung to his leg.

"Mrs. Anderson?" Jake asked.

"How can I help you dear? Mrs. Anderson asked.

"You probably don't remember me, I'm Jake Jagielski, I used to go here years ago…" Jake began.

"Just here to say hello then?" Mrs. Anderson smiled.

"No, no. My mom came in yesterday letting you know that I'd like to start my daughter Jenny," Jake answered.

"Oh that's right. Why don't we take her to her classroom and after that we'll get the paperwork started," Mrs. Anderson said.

Mrs. Anderson stood up and headed for the door. On her way out, Mrs. Anderson introduced herself to Jenny and the little girl instantly took her hand. As they left the office, Jake's eyes wandered to piece of paper posted to the glass. It read: Help Wanted, Apply Within. He wanted to ask the older woman about the job, but she was busy conversing with Jenny, so Jake stayed quiet. They passed many classrooms before they finally came to the classroom that would be Jenny's. Mrs. Anderson knocked on the door to the classroom.

"Miss James is new to our school," Mrs. Anderson said.

The door opened and they were instantly greeted by a petite blonde woman.

"Good morning," the woman greeted.

"Miss James, I have a new student for you," Mrs. Anderson said.

"She's late," Miss James said.

"That'd be my fault, ma'am," Jake responded. "Locked the keys in the car and the spare is in our moving boxes."

"Well next time Mr…" Missie began.

"Jagielski, but you can call me Jake," Jake said.

"Being new isn't an excuse Mr. Jagielski. I'll expect your daughter to be on time from now on," Missie said sternly.

"Yes ma'am," Jake responded.

"Good, now which one of you is my first grader," Missie said looking at both the girls.

Jake nudged Jenny forward.

"This is Jenny," Jake answered. "Eva's got a few years yet."

"Well come on in Jenny. We're working on getting our desks organized, so you haven't missed much," Missie said bending down to Jenny's level.

Jenny grinned and skipped past Miss James into the classroom. Missie stood up and looked at Jake once more.

"We'll need to set up a parent-teacher meeting so I can get a better idea on Jenny's academics," Missie said.

"Yeah, of course," Jake responded.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Jagielski," Missie said.

And with that Missie closed the door to her classroom, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Jake. For being a first year teacher, that woman was awfully intimidating.

… … … …

After school Lucas stood in the Whitey Durham Field House in front of the Ravens basketball hopefuls with Skills. There were several girls sitting down on the bleachers watching, a couple of them were talking with his nephew Jamie. Apparently, they were waiting for their new head coach to get there; but Lucas had his own introductions to make.

"My name is Lucas Scott. I'm the new head basketball coach of the Tree Hill Ravens. This is Antwon Taylor. He's the new assistant head coach. Want our credentials? They're hanging right there."

Lucas pointed behind him where he knew the state championship banner hung behind him. These boys needed to know what they were in for. He expected near perfection to regain the former title.

"I must congratulate you. For some of you, it took only four years to destroy the legacy Coach Durham took 35 years to build. Nice work. So as of today, all 12 roster sports are available. It doesn't matter if you played last year. In three days, we'll have our final roster. If you wanna be on it, then I would advise you go hard. Skills?" Lucas said.

"I would definitely go hard," Skills answered.

"One-on-two drill," Lucas said.

"Everybody line up at half court," Skills responded.

The boys lined up and headed for the basket, taking on Skills and the athletic trainer as Lucas looked on. Some of the boys had decent talent, but there was no superb talent like had been on the team when he had played. There was no Nathan, Skills, Jake, hell, there wasn't even a Tim. Haley walked into the gym and took a reluctant Jamie away from the high school girls he was talking to.

"Already making an impression with the ladies?" Haley asked.

"I was telling them about the soapbox derby I'm gonna be in," Jamie smiled.

Before Haley could ask Jamie what he meant, she ran into Lucas. He gave her a side hug to which she half-heartedly responded.

"How was your first day?" Lucas asked.

"Horrible," Haley sighed. "My first class, like attacked me and I ran out in tears and Principal Turner had to finish the rest of my classes."

"I'm sorry, Hales," Lucas said sympathetically.

"They were awful. So mean. Especially this one kid who was like sexually harassing me," Haley continued.

"What? Who was it?" Lucas asked with anger evident in his voice.

Just then, the boy who taunted Haley earlier walked through the door. He hurled another taunt at Haley which caused shivers to go down her spine.

"Hey Luke, have you seen the Lady Ravens' coach?" Haley asked carefully wording her words.

"No, I was expecting him to be here already," Lucas responded.

"It's been a long day and I just wanna get out of here. Can you give this to them?" Haley asked handing a folded note to Lucas.

"Yeah, sure," Lucas responded slightly confused.

He squeezed Haley's hand reassuringly before she left with Jamie before turning his attention to his tardy player. The kid seemed to have a chip on his shoulder…kinda reminded him of someone. But the kid needed to be put in his place.

"You're late," Lucas shouted.

"Yeah, well, I'm also your leading scorer," the kid retorted.

"No, you might've been the leading scorer on a team that won three conference games all last season, but you are not my leading scorer. Not yet," Lucas responded.

The boy grabbed a ball and took it to the hoop. He easily got past Skills and dunked the ball. The boys cheered him on; but Lucas's eyes remained on the ball. As the ball fell to the floor he watched who caught the ball and it wasn't Skills or Brendan, the athletic trainer. It was someone he would never have guessed to see again: Missie James.

… … … …

Brooke and Peyton sat in Brooke's rental car sipping iced coffees. Peyton had just finished explaining the last time she had seen Lucas: his book signing in LA a couple of years ago. Brooke bit her tongue. It wasn't exactly easy to keep a secret from her best friend, especially one of this caliber, but she had made a promise and Brooke Davis didn't go back on her promises. The GPS told Brooke to turn right, so she did which led them down a driveway.

"Where are we?" Peyton asked.

"I figured since we used to be cheerleaders, we could do a bit of cheering," Brooke smiled.

"Brooke, what are you talking about?" Peyton asked.

"As in cheering-up, I'm sure Nathan Scott could use it," Brooke winked.

"Nathan and Haley live here?" Peyton said in amazement.

"That's what the handy-dandy GPS says," Brooke responded.

"Well, after you B. Davis," Peyton said.

Brooke rolled her eyes at her best friend and stepped out of the car. She led Peyton around to the back, having heard some noise coming from back there. Brooke opened the gate and she motioned Peyton to step through it first. Once they walked through, they found Nathan sitting near the pool in his wheelchair.

"Well, well," Peyton grinned.

"Don't look away, Nate. The second and third greatest nights of your life just walked back into the world," Brooke joked.

"You looking all rock star totally does it for me," Peyton continued.

"What are you guys doing here?" Nathan asked.

"Well, Lucas tells me that you can walk but you need a little incentive. So we came up with a plan," Brooke grinned.

"For every step you take, we kiss," Peyton said grabbing hold of Brooke.

Nathan chuckled as Brooke and Peyton stepped forward and hugged their friend. It had been years since they had seen him, but despite his creepy appearance, it was as if time hadn't really passed. Suddenly, Haley walked out of the house and called for Nathan. Brooke and Peyton greeted Haley, to which she appeared shocked for a minute, before she ran to see them.

"We came to see you and…" Brooke began.

Brooke looked behind Haley and noticed Jamie slowly walking down the stairs. Haley looked back and quickly caught on to what Brooke was going to say.

"Oh, Jamie, sweetie, come here. There are people I want you to meet," Haley said. "C'mon, it's all right."

Haley introduced Jamie to Peyton and Brooke, who were both excited to meet him. They fawned over him, to which he responded shyly.

"Mama, where's Aunt Missie?" Jamie asked.

"Aunt Missie? I don't remember you having a sister named Missie," Peyton responded.

"She's actually my cousin," Haley said. "She's still at school, sweetie."

"Missie's in town?" Brooke asked.

"Wait, you know her?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't a meeting you would forget," Brooke responded vaguely.

… … … …

Lucas had wanted to talk to Missie the moment that he saw her. It had been quite some time since they had spoken; but he quickly realized that she was the girls' coach. They had met a few times while they were kids, but he hadn't actually gotten a chance to know her until they were in college. Missie had gone to the same college that he, Nathan, and Haley had gone to. She had played basketball for the women's team and was a damn good player. It wasn't a surprise they had hired her to actually get a decent Lady Ravens team going. The boys finished practice awhile before the girls did; but he did promise Haley to pass the note along. It made more sense now, but he didn't want to interrupt her practice. Besides, it would give them time to catch-up a bit if he waited until their practice was over. So, Lucas waited on the bleachers until Missie was done. Missie could tell that Lucas was waiting for her. She hoped to find Haley and get out of here when practice was over. When she blew the final whistle, she quickly headed for the doors; but Lucas met her at there.

"Hey, Miss," Lucas said.

"Hi," Missie said in a clipped tone.

"I—erm—I have note from Haley for you," Lucas responded.

Missie didn't say anything. Instead, she just held out her hand for Lucas to place the note into. He nodded his head and placed the note into her hand, which she quickly read.

"Damnit," Missie muttered.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"Haley left," Missie groaned.

"Yeah, she had a rough day," Lucas explained.

"She was my ride home," Missie said.

"I can give you a ride," Lucas furthered.

"Of course you can, Haley even suggested it in her note," Missie hissed.

"C'mon, Miss, it'll give us a chance to catch up," Lucas said.

"Because that's exactly what I want to do with you," Missie said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm really trying here. Now where are you staying?" Lucas asked.

"With Nathan and Haley," Missie muttered.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Lucas teased.

Missie rolled her eyes and grabbed her teacher's bag before following Lucas out of the gym. She hoped the car ride would be a silent one; this way they couldn't rehash the past. Only knowing the effect Lucas Scott had on her, she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him much longer.


End file.
